Chapter 18: The Intrigues of the Honest Official
When Li Hongzhang heard Weng Tonghe's heart-wrenching remarks, he couldn't help but kowtowed on the ground several times, and said in panic: "I am loyal to the emperor, and I dare not have the slightest intention to preserve my strength. If the emperor thinks that I have I sincerely ask the Emperor to allow me to remove my armor and return to my field to show my loyalty."
Although Weng Tonghe knew that Li Hongzhang was retreating in order to advance, he had no choice. Li Hongzhang was the only one who could control the Huai army now. Once Li Hongzhang also gave up, the war would only become more corrupt.
Sure enough, Guangxu comforted him seriously: "I love you and you can learn from the sun and the moon. Now the war between China and Japan is in full swing, and we need loyal people like you to do their best. Alas! I just didn't expect that my Qing army would actually Even the Japanese can’t win.”
Guangxu was indeed a little disheartened. Before the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War, everyone in the imperial court held a conceited mentality and believed that the Japanese country was just a small country and not worthy of evidence.
At that time, Guangxu was also ambitious, hoping to defeat Japan and restore national prestige.
However, as the Chinese army suffered defeat after defeat, he now only hoped to repel the Japanese.
"Does the Qing Dynasty have no more generals to fight against?" Guangxu sighed sadly.
Another military minister, Sun Yuwen, heard Guangxu's sigh and persuaded him loudly: "Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. Mr. Liu and General Feng are on their way to the capital. In addition, the old general Liu Mingchuan also has some thoughts."
General Feng mentioned by Sun Yuwen refers to the famous anti-French general Feng Zicai, and Mr. Liu refers to the famous Hunan Army Liu Kunyi. After the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1894, Feng Zicai strongly requested to lead the army from Guangdong and Guangxi to fight against the Japanese army.
However, since the war was not urgent at that time, Guangxu did not agree. After all, no one knew whether the French would come from Vietnam and take advantage of the situation.
Now that the Japanese army has entered China, Guangxu had to consider his request. However, he felt sad to let a veteran of seventy or eighty years go to the battlefield again. Since when did the Qing Dynasty begin to become depressed?
Liu Mingchuan is the founder of the Ming Army and a veteran of the Huai Army. He has great prestige. If this person is willing to come out again, not to mention whether he will fight again, at least the generals on the front line will not be dissatisfied.
After Liu Mingchuan stepped down from the post of governor of Taiwan, he has been living in seclusion at home to take care of his old age. He has always been brooding about his dismissal. After the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1894, the imperial court and Li Hongzhang both intended to let him come back to work, but he thought he was ill. He pushed it for a reason, obviously expressing his dissatisfaction with the court for neglecting him all these years.
But as the Japanese army entered the country, Liu Mingchuan finally relaxed.
However, the Japanese army successfully landed at Huayuankou, which directly endangered Lushun, Dalian and the entire Liaodong Peninsula. It caught the Qing army by surprise. The war was urgent and it was too late for the two men to take office.
Li Hongzhang was well aware of Guangxu's concerns and reported: "Your Majesty, I think we can dispatch the Eastern Route Army's Sichuan Admiral Song Qing to rush to Lushun to control the troops. Before that, Gong Zhaoyu, the former general manager of the enemy's camp affairs office, can temporarily control the situation." ”
Song Qing is now the commander of the Yalu River Defense Line. If Song Qing is transferred, the Yalu River Defense Line will definitely have to appoint another person.
Li Hongzhang continued: "As for the Eastern Route Army, it can be controlled by Nie Shicheng. Nie Shicheng has command and is worthy of a big task."
Guangxu rubbed his brow helplessly and said: "Just do as Aiqing said, Sun Qing, you will urge Master Liu after you retreat."
Sun Yuwen replied solemnly: "Cha!"
Guangxu glanced at the courtiers again, and then said: "Do you have anything else to report to your family?"
The courtiers looked at me, and I looked at you, and finally they all stared at the ants at their feet, but no one said a word.
Weng Tonghe wanted to express his views on the war, but he could only talk about persisting in the war of resistance, but he could only know everything about the specific combat matters. This was why Li Hongzhang had just appointed two generals to take charge. , he had no reason to object.
"Retreat if nothing happens!" Guangxu waved his hands helplessly.
When a group of courtiers heard that the court was about to disperse, especially the princes of the Qing Dynasty, their eyes flashed, thinking about where to go to have fun later.
As soon as he walked out of the gate of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Minister of Military Aircraft Weng Tonghe sneered at Li Hongzhang and said: "Master Li, the war on the front line is corrupt. The emperor is very dissatisfied with your Huai army. I heard that the imperial court is training new soldiers."
What Sun Yuwen meant was, Li Hongzhang, your good days are coming to an end.
Li Hongzhang's beard trembled angrily, and he said in a trembling voice: "The soldiers on the front line fought bloody battles, but Mr. Weng is here with cold words, and he is not afraid of chilling the hearts of the soldiers on the front line."
"Fighting in blood?" Weng Tonghe snorted coldly, and then said: "Why didn't I see it? The news I got was that our soldiers were defeated."
"The two armies fought with each other winning and losing. The Japanese came well prepared. It is not unforgivable that our army was defeated by being caught off guard." Li Hongzhang made excuses for his army.
Weng Tonghe swung his sleeves, turned around and left. Before leaving, he said coldly: "I would like to see when your army can win the battle."
After Weng Tonghe left, Li Hongzhang showed concern. War is the best way to measure an army. With the Sino-Japanese War going on now, he knows better than anyone else that the Huai Army today is no longer the one he personally commanded in the past. The army.
Do your best and depend on destiny.
Li Hongzhang had already made two preparations at this time, one for war and one for peace. If the Liaodong battle was defeated again, peace would be the only way to go.
Da Gaoling, blocking the only passage from Fenghuangcheng to Liaoyang, has a dangerous terrain, with overlapping peaks and ridges, which is easy to defend but difficult to attack.
After the Chinese army withdrew from Fenghuangcheng, they stationed in this dangerous place.
When Song Qing, the commander of the Eastern Route Army, received the telegram from the court, a day had passed.
In the general's tent, Song Qing handed the seal representing the command to Nie Shicheng.
Liu Shengxiu, the general of Ming Army, Lu Benyuan, the general of Sheng Army, Feng Sheng'a, the general of Feng Army, etc., all looked at him with burning eyes, and their expressions were obviously extremely envious.
In addition, Liu Shengxiu was a little angry, thinking that the army in his hands was no less than that of Nie Shicheng, but he didn't expect that after Song Qing left, the new commander would be Nie Shicheng.
"Gongting, the Eastern Route Army depends on you." Song Qing shook Nie Shicheng's hand and said with a wry smile.
The war was imminent, but the court was playing both sides and actually transferred troops from the front line to another place, which made him feel a little incredible.
Nie Shicheng said solemnly: "Admiral Song, please rest assured that Gongting will live up to your trust."
"Alas, take care of yourself on the battlefield!" The military situation was urgent, Song Qingyi clasped his fists, and hurried away with his two subordinates Ma Yukun and Song Desheng.
"Everyone! I, Nie Shicheng, have been honored by the court to temporarily serve as the commander of the Eastern Army. I hope you can work together with me to fight the Japanese." Nie Shicheng glanced at several generals, especially Liu Shengxiu. He was obviously resentful of Liu Shengxiu's failure to save him in the Battle of Hushan.
No matter what the generals thought in their hearts, they all smiled and replied: "Of course."
Nie Shicheng didn't waste words, and walked directly to the front of the map to conduct his first command.
"Everyone, we use the natural barrier of Dagaoling to fight against the Japanese army and prevent the Japanese army from attacking Fengtian from the east. Shengjing General Yiktang'a led his troops to garrison Saimaji, to contain the Japanese army in Fenghuangcheng from the side and support our frontal defense of Dagaoling."
After talking about the situation on his side, Nie Shicheng continued: "The commander of the enemy's First Army, Yamagata Aritomo, has arrived in Fenghuangcheng. Please look here. Yamagata Aritomo's intention is already very clear. He divided the army into two routes. One route is the Fifth Division led by Japanese Lieutenant General Nozu Michitsugu. They will pass through our Dagaoling from Fenghuangcheng through Liaoyang and will fight with us soon. Old I have fought with the Fifth Division on the Korean battlefield and know how fierce the Japanese are, so we must be prepared for a tough battle. The other route is the Third Division led by Japanese Lieutenant General Katsura Taro, who will go around Xiuyan and Haicheng and go out to the west of Liaoyang. The enemy troops on this route will be resisted by Nie Guilin stationed in Xiuyan, but Nie Guilin has few soldiers, so I plan to dispatch a part of the army to support him. "
After Nie Shicheng finished speaking, he looked at several generals for a few circles, and then slowly said: "General Feng, your troops will go to support Xiuyan."
Feng Sheng'a was stunned at first, and then reluctantly said: "I will obey the orders of General Nie!"